Prague, The Czech Republic

Prague

I packed my jacket in my suitcase but was met with a chilly morning in my shorts and dri-fit. Everybody else was in either jeans or track pants. We were on the 5:49 train back to Amsterdam and from there we would travel to Prague in the Czech Republic. We lugged at our 10 bags into the coach and flung ourselves onto the suits, huffing. The sun was already out and we were in no mood to sleep. Onboard the train we were met with Indians who were in the diamond market and had relocated in Europe. We were already 20 minutes late and the train which would take us to the airport from Rotterdam had already departed. Pus, inside a tunnel, one of the Indians pulled the emergency brake and we were stranded there for another 20 minutes. Over here the pulling of the chain was a big deal and that train would undergo checks by the Federal police. We were going to miss the second train as well by 2 minutes but that thankfully was also late by 5 minutes and we got on just on time.

At the airport, the flight was on time but we were delayed by 20 minutes because the baggage wasn’t loaded yet. 30 minutes late, we landed at the Prague airport. After more delays at the baggage claim we finally got out of the airport and caught a taxi to the Hotel Royal Prague.  At 5 o’clock we caught a tram to the old town square 5 stops away.

One thing that we found in abundance was ‘Trollo’ ice cream which was basically ice cream in a sweet bread and it tasted awesome. I was always proud to say that my mom wasn’t a shopper and didn’t stop in every store on the way. Today she proved me wrong and went to every store. We did one inch of the square in 15 minutes. I feel bad for people whose parents are these regular shoppers.

My grandparents, my cousins and I went for a ride in a vintage style car around Prague, covering most of the city. I highly recommend this as in 40 minutes you get a feel in the city.

Prague is a very small city and by the end we were familiar with the different streets in the area. We saw Beethoven’s school where he learned his traits. We saw the dancing house, where there are no right angles in the whole building. Our driver/ guide said the architect must have been drunk to have made something in this shape. We saw the beautiful Charles Bridge from every angle and drove parallel to it from both sides. We saw the 1 – foot narrow passage which was made when two landlords fought over land rights. There is actually a traffic signal to help with people flow. We reached the town square, thanked the man and went home.

Day 2

Today we were going on a hop on hop off bus around Prague. We made it just in time for the first bus and the first thing we saw was the communist museum. After the second world war, the soviets took control of Czech Slovakia and were a communist regime. They mistreated the people and made it a base for their army. Finally, after 25 years of this regime, the soviets were driven back to their home and the Czechs got their country back. Czech Slovakia then broke up peacefully into the ‘Czech Republic’ and ‘Slovakia’.

Our next stop was the Staropramen brewery. Staropramen is the most popular beer in the Czech Republic and the company that my uncle worked for Molson Coors had just bought it 2 years back. We saw beer is made, how Staropramen was unique and the different machines used.

We then walked on the famous Charles Bridge. It was made King Charles IV and was used in the procession when kings were coronated. It is made of 20% egg shells as they were added in the mortar as a combining agent. It has 30 statues of famous priests and missionaries. It has two watch towers on either end and you can actually go up and down in them.

After the Charles Bridge, we visited the ever-famous Prague Castle. It is the largest castle complex in the world and has won a Guinness world record. It is used by the President and his administration as an office complex but some parts are still opened to the public. Inside there are churches and other things like the fancy banquet hall with its diet room. What is the most stunning thing about Prague is the view. Perched on top off a hill, you can see the whole of Prague under it. Prague is called the city of a hundred spires for a reason and it is justified from this view. Inside the churches we were graced by a huge ceiling.  When trying to take a picture of the entire church I had to lie down and it still didn’t come.

We left Prague Castle and made it down to the banks of The Vltava river. The Vltava river runs for 31 kilometers in Prague and there are about 19 bridges connecting the two sides. We were going on a cruise underneath Charles Bridge. Charles Bridge was even more beautiful from this point of view. After the hours ride we went back to the main square and found new streets to walk through.

Day 3

Today we went on a new line on the Hop on Hop off, to see the business center of Prague and its main financial districts.

We got off at a stop near Kampa Park, from which we would take a tram up and get a full view of the city. The tram ride took less than 15 minutes, which we could have easily walked up. We saw an observatory which is used to study planets in the clear skies. At one point there was an opening in the trees. After the ride down and a quick Mexican Lunch we went back to the Prague Castle for a further study as we didn’t have time yesterday.

We first went to the church which is the first thing that graces visitors. It is really tall and has important artifacts of the Christian era. We saw a confession box, a large organ and many paintings depicting Christ with his followers and missionaries.

Again, like yesterday we had to leave early as that day we were going to watch a ballet. It was called the Nutcracker, a really old play about how a girl falls in love with a toy soldier. She dreams in the night that the king of rats and his men came to take it away but the soldier came to life and protected the girl. Then they showed how the girl and the soldier went away to a place with different people, just to show people ballet. They also danced lots of times and in the end, I got tired of her bowing. Ballets are famous in Russia and since the soviets were there, their tradition spread into the lives of the Czechs.

Day 4

Today was our last day in Prague and in Europe and we were roaming around freely in the central square. We saw the famous statue of Jan Hus and his followers being oppressed by the church. Jan Hus was a professor at the Charles University, but he spoke his mind about some things against the church and….. bad idea, cause he died. Killed.

What is very famous about that square is the Astronomical clock tower. It built way back in the 12^th century and was ahead of its time.it tells you the time, the phases of the moon, the zodiac symbol and even which saint is respected that day. At every hour, a skeleton on the side pulls a cord and the doors open and statues of saints are seen revolving in the top parts of the tower. A rooster crows and finally the bell rings. It is a magnificent sight to see.

Later in the evening we went bowling.

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